Tag servicelearning

Service Ideas For Career Exploration

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In collaboration with @x2VOL

Preparation for college, university, and future careers starts early. High school students start thinking about what careers they might want to pursue in the future as early as their freshman year.

School courses can help students identify areas of interest or uncover specific talents. Other students find working part-time jobs gives them an idea of what they’re good at and extracurriculars or school clubs also allow students the opportunity to explore their passions. Additionally, students find that volunteering exposes them to careers or areas of work they might not have otherwise considered.

Over the years, districts have continued to see the importance and impact of civic engagement on students. Community-engaged students have improved student outcomes for many reasons: students develop important skills through volunteering, have leadership opportunities, experience a sense of belonging, and grow socially and emotionally as they serve others. Students also learn vital skills that allow them to find success in their lives after high school.

Educators work hard to ensure students receive a proper academic education but also are pivotal in spurring students on as they grow individually. As your students are exploring potential career paths and determining what they want to pursue after high school, encourage them to volunteer. As students are thinking about where to volunteer or complete their service hours, encourage students to reflect on what their areas of interest are. This is so personal to each student but it allows them to identify potential areas of focus or interests that could lead to a career path. From there, work with the student to identify opportunities or encourage the student to research needs in the community that would give them some real hands-on experience. Volunteering allows students to help others, see the impact of their work, and explore career interests.

Here are volunteer opportunities and service ideas for students to explore various career paths:

  • Social Services Agencies: Offering time at agencies supporting the homeless, elderly, or individuals with disabilities, allows students to explore careers in social work, counseling, or healthcare.
  • Political Campaigns: Students can assist in local political campaigns to learn more about the process. This is helpful for students interested in politics or public policy.
  • Art and Music Programs: Students interested in fine arts, art history, or music can volunteer at local art galleries or community music programs to gain insight into the arts and culture sector.
  • Community Events and Festivals: Volunteering to help organize or run community events is a great experience for students interested in hospitality or event planning.
  • Tutoring/Mentoring: Students with an interest in teaching can start by tutoring or mentoring other students to get a feel for a career in education.
  • Animal Shelter or Zoo: Students interested in veterinary careers or even zoology can gain experience and insight into the industry.
  • Technology or Marketing: Students interested in technology can volunteer to teach coding or basic tech-related lessons at community centers or nursing homes. Students interested in social media or marketing can put those skills to use volunteering to manage social media for local organizations.
  • Environmental Conservation Projects/ Community Gardens: Students can participate in a community garden or an environmental conversation project to learn about agriculture, sustainable practices, environmental sciences, or urban planning.
  • Library or Museums: Students can volunteer at a library or museum to gain insights into the world of archiving, curation, and education which can be useful for students interested in the arts, history, or information science.
  • Sports or Recreation Programs: Volunteer with youth sports teams or recreational programs. This can help students explore careers in coaching or sports management.

Outcomes of Service

Students can make a huge difference in their communities, and be engaged with others around them while exploring various careers and interests that will set them up for success.

Through volunteering, students can start making connections in their desired industry and gain experience that will benefit them long term. Students can discover new interests and talents, or conversely, realize specific careers aren’t for them.

There are so many benefits students experience while impacting their communities. Educators play a crucial role in leading students through this process and x2VOL is here to support schools and districts in these endeavors.

x2VOL makes it easy to manage community service and work-based learning all online. With benefits for students, educators, and district leaders, x2VOL provides functionalities to remove the burden of hours tracking and reporting, providing educators the space to engage students in these important developmental opportunities. Learn more about how x2VOL supports schools and districts in our demo.

Learn More

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How students access core SEL competencies at school

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In Collaboration with @x2VOL 

What is Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning (SEL) is the process in which people develop interrelational skills that include self-awareness, social and relationship skills, responsibility, empathy, and more. Social-emotional learning has become an important piece of high school education, as educators see improved student outcomes because of an emphasis on SEL. More and more schools and districts are adopting SEL programs or tracking social-emotional development during a student’s high school career in order to prepare a student for future success whether that is in a university or the workforce. 

What Constitutes SEL

According to CASEL’S SEL framework, there are 5 elements that constitute social-emotional learning. 

  1. Self-awareness
  2. Self-management
  3. Social awareness
  4. Relationship skills
  5. Responsible decision-making.

Why is this important?

Social-emotional development is a vital part of a student’s upbringing. This kind of development impacts how a student shows up in the world, how they interact with their peers, how they approach school and jobs, and how they develop meaningful relationships. Social-emotional development is crucial in positive student outcomes because they are learning valuable life skills and concepts. Additionally, universities seek students who possess a broadened perspective on the world and developed self-awareness. 

How do students develop social-emotional learning? 

There are a number of ways students grow in these areas and they don’t come from just one thing! Many of these competencies are developed through school-related activities and programs. Five days out of the week and 7-8 hours a day, students are in school. They spend additional time with their classmates in after-school programs, sports, extracurriculars, etc. Tracking and encouraging social-emotional learning has become a priority for educators as they know so much of this comes from school or school-related activities. 

There are three overarching ways students engage in social-emotional development through school:

  1. Community service requirements, programs or clubs. 

When they become active members of their communities through service, students are able to see outside of their small world bubble, and understand needs and different ways of life. Through service projects, students work with their peers, local or even national organizations, service activity coordinators, and individuals they are directly serving. This exposes them to needs and circumstances outside their normal bubble widening their world view. They are also learning valuable skills such as teamwork, communication, collaboration, and respect. 

Many schools have a service requirement for graduation. Others highly encourage student involvement in the community and award it at graduation, while others have clubs and programs where students can engage in community service. 

  1. Work-based learning and internship programs 

In part-time jobs, apprenticeships, internships, etc. students learn valuable workplace skills but they also learn the soft skills of problem-solving, relationship-building, empathy, understanding, cooperation, and collaboration. These school-based programs connect students with a job or internship and then have regular check-ins and assessments to evaluate a student’s development. It goes beyond a student just showing up for a shift, they are learning valuable skills they can take into the workforce in the future. 

  1. Service learning classes, humanities, or religion classes

Some schools have dedicated service learning classes or incorporate service and service learning in a humanities course. Private schools often incorporate service and service learning in their religion classes as it ties back to their faith and the mission of the school to encourage spiritual formation in students. 

Service learning connects service to what students are learning in the classroom – this gives students context for their work and provides deeper connections beyond checking service hours off a list. They can see and understand the impact of their work and reflect on their experiences in a meaningful way. 

Measuring and encouraging development

These school-based programs ensure students are given the opportunity to experience growth on a deeper level. Success and development come when educators can see a student’s progress month after month, year after year. Tracking their experiences, reflections, and areas of growth is an important step in advancing social-emotional learning. 

x2VOL becomes an extension of schools’ student programs to ensure students can track their progress and educators have insight into student development. With x2VOL, students and administrators track and manage these experiences and reflections all online, in one easy-to-use platform. Click below to watch our 1-minute demo of how x2VOL works.

How x2VOL Works

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

************ Also check out my THRIVEinEDU Podcast Here!

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